US 4,763,567 AGranted

Stovetop corn popper

AssigneeNorthland Aluminum Products, Inc.

InventorsH. David Dalquist, III, Douglas C. Jacobsen, Jorgen A. Jorgensen, Douglas J. Kluge, John N. Taylor

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Abstract

A corn popper includes a vessel open at the top, and a removable top cover. A handle integral with the cover includes a pistol grip portion relatively remote from the vessel when the cover is attached. A stirring mechanism, supported for rotation about a vertical axis within the vessel when the cover is attached, rotates responsive to the squeezing of a trigger mounted slidably with respect to the pistol grip section of the handle. The means for driving the stirring mechanism include a drive gear angularly fixed on the stirring mechanism, and a pinion movable linearly into and out of driving engagement with the drive gear, and also rotatable, by virtue of an extension of the trigger.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An apparatus for preparing food, including:

a vessel for containing food items, said vessel having a bottom and a generally cylindrical side wall extended generally upwardly from the periphery of the bottom and open at the top thereof;
a cover and means for removably and integrally fastening the cover to the vessel to close the vessel;
a stirring member mounted rotatably with respect to said cover and positioned in said vessel for rotation about a substantially vertical axis when the cover is fastened to the vessel;
a handle integral with said cover and including a first section extended from the cover and configured to facilitate a gripping of said handle by hand closure about the first section;
a trigger member mounted along said first section to reciprocate with respect to said handle between forward and rearward trigger positions, and a biasing means between said handle and said trigger member for urging said trigger member forwardly, said trigger member movable rearwardly against the force of said biasing means responsive to said hand closure;
and
a ratcheted drive means for drivably engaging said trigger member and said stirring member to rotate said stirring member responsive to rearward movement of the trigger member, and for disengaging the trigger from the stirring member when the trigger returns to the forward trigger position under the force of the biasing means.

4 more elements

A cooking appliance for preparing popcorn, including:

a vessel for containing popcorn, having a bottom and a generally cylindrical and upright side wall projected upwardly from the bottom;
a top cover, and means for removably and integrally fastening the top cover to said vessel to close the vessel;
a stirring member rotatably mounted with respect to said cover and positioned inside of said vessel for rotation about a substantially vertical axis when the cover is so fastened;
a handle member integral with said cover and including a cover reinforcing section spanning the cover diameter and in contact with the cover, and a handle section relatively remote from the cover and configured to facilitate a hand closure therearound;
a trigger member mounted along said handle section for reciprocating movement between forward and rearward trigger positions with respect to said handle section, and a biasing means between said handle and said trigger member for urging said trigger member toward said forward trigger position;
and
a ratchet drive means for drivingly associating said trigger member and said stirring member to rotate the stirring member on said vertical axis responsive to rearward movement of said trigger member, and for disengaging said trigger member and said stirring member responsive to forward movement of said trigger.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.